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| Islamic Centre Mataram City |
Lombok capital is a blending sprawl of several (once separate) towns with fuzzy borders: ampenan (the port); Mataram (the administrative centre); Cakranegara (the business centre, often called simply "cakra") and Bertais, where you'll find the bus terminal.
Stretching for 12 km from east to wst, it's home to nearly half a million people. There aren't many tourist attractions, Senggigi is close by, and the airport has moved too, so unless you're booking plane tickets, or need a hospital, there isn't any reason to visit, much less stay the night.
Yet Mataram's broad tree-lined avenues buzz with bemos, thrum with motorbike traffic and are teeming with classic markets. If you're hungry for a blast of Indo realism, you'll find it here.
The towns are spread along one mainroad - it starts are Jl Pabean in AMpenan, becomes Jl Yos Sudarso, then changes to Jl Langko, Jl Pejanggik and travels to Bertais as Jl Selaparang. It's one-way throughout, running west to east. A parallel one way road, Jl Tumpang Sari - Jl Panca Usaha - Jl Pancawarga - Jl Caturwarga - Jl Pendidikan brings trafiic back to the coast.
Sights
Pura Meru Temple
Location : Jl Selaparang; admission by donation; open 8am-5pm. Opposite the water palace, Pura Meru is the largest and second most important Hindu temple on Lombok.
Google map (location) : Location Pura Meru Temple
Google map (location) : Location Pura Meru Temple
Built in 1720, it's dedicated to the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The inner court has 33 small shrines and three thatchec, teak-wood meru (multi-tiered shrines). The central meru, with 11 tiers, is Shiva's house; the meru to the north, with nine tiers, is Vishnu's; and the seven-tiered meru to the south is Brahma's. The meru also represent three scared mountains, Rinjani, Agung and Bromo. The caretaker will lend you a sash and sarong.
Mayura Water Palace Temple
Location : Jl Selaparang; admission by donation; open 7am-7.30pm. Built in 1744, this palace includes the former king's family temple,a pilgrimage site for Lombok's Hindus on 24 December. In 1894 it wad the site of Bloody batles between the Dutch and Balinese. Unfortunately, it has become a neglected public park with a polluted artificial lake.
Google map (location) : Location Mayura Water Temple
Google map (location) : Location Mayura Water Temple
Sleeping
Most folks nest among Cakranegara's quiet streets off Jl Pejanggik or Jl Selaparang, east of Mataram Mall.
Lombok Plaza
Phone : 0370-629718; website : www.lombokplazahotel.com; location at Jl. Pejanggik No 8; rate IDR450.000-IDR785.000. Mataram's newest and shiniest hotel has welcome flash and class. Room are sizeable with stylish wood desks and end tables, wall-mounted LG flat-screen TVs, high cellings, a breakfast buffet and 20m lap pool on the second floor mezzanine. The chinese restaurant serves excellent dim sum and a wonderful soto ayam (Indonesian chicken noodle soup) at reasonable prices.
Google map (location) : Location Lombok Plaza
Google map (location) : Location Lombok Plaza
Ratu Guesthouse
Phone : 085281008284; 081915904275; location at Jl AA Gede Ngurah 45; rate IDR75.000-IDR100.000. Great value in the earth of Cakranegara, a block from the market. Rooms are spacious and have spring beds, mosqueto ets, shared bath and wifi.
Google map (location) : Location Ratu Guesthouse
Google map (location) : Location Ratu Guesthouse
Hotel Melati Viktor 1
Phone : 0370-633830; location at Jl Abimanyu 1; room with fan or air condition rate IDR100.000-IDR200.000. The high ceilings, clean rooms and Balinese-style courtyard, complete with Hindu statues, ake this one of the best value in town. If they're full, head to Viktor II across the street, where everything is a bit newer and fresher.
Google map (location) : Location Hotel Melati Viktor I
Google map (location) : Location Hotel Melati Viktor I
Eating
The Mataram mall (and the streets around it) are loaded with Western-style fast food outlets, Indonesian noodle bars and warung.
Seafood Ikan Bakar 99
Phone : 0370-643335 or 0370-6642819; location Jl Subak III 10; mains IDR20.000-IDR55.000; open 11am-10pm. Think : squid, prawns, fish and crab brushed with chili sauce and perfectly grilled or fried, and drenched in spicy Padang or sticky sweet and sour sauce.
you will munch and dine among local families who fill the long tables in the arched, tiled dining room.
Google map (location) : Location Seafood Ikan Bakar 99
Google map (location) : Location Seafood Ikan Bakar 99
Bakery Mi Rasa
Phone : 0370-633096; location Jl AA Gede Ngurah 88; pastries from IDR5000; open 6am-10pm. A popular, modern bakery, they do doughnuts, cookies and cakes as well as local wontons stuffed with chicken.
Google map (location) : Location Bakery Mi Rasa
Google map (location) : Location Bakery Mi Rasa
Shopping
For handicrafts try the many stores on Jl Raya Senggigi, the road heading north from Ampenan towards Senggigi. Jl Panca Usaha is the pre-eminent upscale shopping street sprinkled with cute boutiques.
Market Pasar Mandalika
Open 7am-5pm; A great place to get localised after you've overdosed on the bule circuit. Thera are no tourists at this market near the Mandalika bus terminal, but they've got everything else; fruit and veggies, fish (fresh and dried), baskets full of colourful, aromatic spices and grains, freshly butchered beef, palm sugar, pungent bricks of shrimp paste and cheaper handicrafts than you will find anywhere else in West Lombok.
Google map (location) : Location Mayura Water Temple
Google map (location) : Location Mayura Water Temple
Information
You'll find plenty of Banks with ATMs scattered along Cakra's main drag. Moneychangers in Mataram mall and on jl Pejanggik often provide the best rates for cash.
Kantor Imigrasi : Phone 0370-632520; location Jl Udayana 2; open 8am-4pm from Monday to Friday
Police Station : Phone 0370-631225; location Jl Langko;in an emergency dial 110
Post office : location Jl Langko; open 8am-4.30pm from Monday to friday & 8am-1pm on saturday
Rumah Sakit Harapan Keluarga : Phone 0370-670000; www.harapankeluarga.co.id; location Jl Ahmad Yani 9. The newest and best private hospital in Nusa Tenggara is just east of downtown Mataram an has English speaking doctors and modern facilities. At reserach time where was talk of adding a decompression chamber.
West Lombok Tourist Office : Phone 0370-621658; location Jl Suprapto; open 07.30am-2pm from Monday to Friday & 8am-1pm on Saturday. Stocks a few maps and leaflets, though not much in the way of practical information.
West Nusa Tenggara Tourist Office : Phone 0370-634800; location Jl Langko; open 8am-2pm from Monday to Friday & 8am-12.30pm on
Saturday. Offer limited information about Lombok and Sumbawa.
Getting There & Away
BUS & BEMO
The sprawling mandalika bus station in Bertais is the main bus and bemo (minibus) terminal for the entire island, and also for long distance buses to Sumbawa, Bali and Java.
It's a chaotic, badly organised place, so be sure to keep a level head to avoid the "help" of the commision happy touts. Long distances buses leave from behind the main terminal building. While bemo and smaller buses leave hourly from one of two car parks on either side.
Kebon Roek bemo terminal in AMpenan has bemo to Bertais IDR 2.500 and Senggigi IDR 4.000.
It's a chaotic, badly organised place, so be sure to keep a level head to avoid the "help" of the commision happy touts. Long distances buses leave from behind the main terminal building. While bemo and smaller buses leave hourly from one of two car parks on either side.
Kebon Roek bemo terminal in AMpenan has bemo to Bertais IDR 2.500 and Senggigi IDR 4.000.
TOURIST SHUTTLE BUS
Lombok Car Transport , call : 085338657072; www.lombokcartransport.com; Jl Surabaya Mataram City operates shuttle bus to popular destinations in Lombok (including Bangsal, Senggigi and Kura Mandalika).
Getting Around
TO/FROM AIRPORT
Mataram's Selaparang Airport has been phased out, and a new airport near Praya is up and running. By taxi (IDR150.000) it is only about 45 minutes from Mataram.
Buses leave from the Mandalika Terminal for the airport (IDR35.000) on the hour.
BEMO
Mataram is very spread out. Yellow bemo shuttle between Kebon Roek bemo terminal in Ampenan and Mandalika terminal in Bertais (10km away). Along the two main thoroughfares.
Outside the Pasar Cakranegara there is a handy bemo stop for services to Bertais. Ampenan, Sweta and Lembar Harbour. Fares cost IDR5.000.
TAXI
For a reliable metered taxi, call Lombok Taksi (0370-627000). Cars with drivers are easily arranged in Mataram and cost about IDR500.000 to IDR550.000 per day.
Around Mataram
There are gorgeous villages, temples and scenery east of Mataram. It's worth a half-days drive.
The holiest temple compound in Lombok, Pura Lingsar (admission by donation; open 7am-6pm), was built in 1714 by king Anak Agung Ngurah, and is nestled beautifully in the lush rice fields. It's multidenominational, with a temple for Balinese Hindus (Pura Gaduh) and one for followers of Lombok's mustocal take on Islam, the Wektu Telu religion.
Purah Gaduh, has four shrines; one orientated to Gunung Rinjani (seat of the Gods on Lombok), one to Gunung Agung (seat fo the Gods in Bali) and a double shrine representing the union between the two islands.
The Wektu Telu Temple is noted for its enclosed pond devoted to Lord Vishnu and the holy eels, which can be enticed from their lair with hard boiled eggs (available at stalls outside). It's considereed good luck to feed them. You will be expected to rent a sash and/or sarong (or bring your own) to enter the temple.
Pura Lingsar is 9km northeast of Mandalika. Take a bemo from the terminal to Narmada and another to Lingsar. Ask to be dropped off near the entrance to the temple complex.
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